How does it feel?: Chapter 1-Study Buddies
by IWannaBeTheTeacher
Summary: Steven and Connie's post study session hangout end in a question that stumps Connie. First chapter First post here- first time writing in a while, review and criticism welcome
1. Chapter 1

**Fic**

Maths wasn't exactly Steven's strong suit. To him, maths was meant to be about numbers, just numbers. No letters, no really long words, just numbers. English wasn't really a strength of his either. Reading was fun and all, but he wasn't a big fan of trying to figure out all the hidden meanings behind a book, especially not when he was enjoying what he was reading. To Steven, it was a sure fire way to both ruin the book and make him wonder if the people who wrote these books were really thinking of all that stuff when they were writing. Science was yet another concept that was almost completely lost on Steven. Being raised by 3 gem surrogate mothers, who had both taught and shown him that the explanation of almost everything was magic, Steven had always just accepted that things worked the way they did because of magic and he needed no other explanation than that.

Generally, Steven didn't really comprehend a lot of stuff that was taught in schools. Not geography, not PE, not Spanish, not French, not ICT, not Art. The only subjects that Steven was able to begin to get his head round were history and music. Growing up with a former rock star for a dad meant that music and playing his ukulele had always been a source of recreation and fun when he was growing up, and living with the gems meant that he knew little bits and pieces of history, mostly gem history, but history all the same. The fact that Steven didn't really have an active working knowledge of lots of the different subjects that are taught in school, alongside the fact that he'd never actually been to one, meant that the young gem wasn't exactly the best study buddy in the world. This was something that his best friend Connie was finding out the hard way.

Studying was something Connie had grown accustomed to; having a mother as demanding as hers, as well as the usual pressures from the school system, meant that pressure to succeed was just something she had to live with, both at home and at school. Despite being expected to excel in literally every area, which required a lot of revision and studying on her part, Connie always tried to make time for her best friend, Steven Universe, who was absentmindedly chewing on one of her pens while staring blankly one of her maths workbooks. The two had set aside today for two things, studying and hanging out, and as much as they both wished that this sunny Saturday in particular could simply be a day dedicated to relaxing and hanging out by the sea as jam buds, Connie's upcoming week of mock exams being a matter of importance had led to the young gem pledging to help his friend prepare.

It was pretty clear to Connie that Steven wasn't really reading the maths book that was open in front of him; he'd been staring at the same page for the past 20 minutes, occasionally nodding his head and "hmmm"-ing when she cast her eyes away from her biology revision and towards him. She felt quite guilty for trapping him inside on such a glorious day, despite him being the one to suggest the study buddy idea, but the fact that he was trying to stay silent so as not to disturb her during her study and create a good study atmosphere made her thankful that she had him for a best friend. Having finished looking over the different parts of human cells, Connie closed her biology revision and sighed, allowing both her eyes and brain a brief reprieve from the 2 hour science revision that she'd just finished. She once again cast her eyes towards Steven who, seeing that she'd closed her textbook, met her with a smile, " _How's your studying going?_ ", asked the boy, now sitting up from where he had been lying on the floor of his bedroom, " _Pretty good_ ", the dark haired girl answered, " _what about you? You seemed pretty lost in Pythagoras theorem_ ", she asked playfully knowing full well that he hadn't actually been reading it. " _Umm, yeah it's pretty…. Something_ ", Steven responded awkwardly.

The room fell silent. The two of them just sat appreciating the warmth that was radiating from the sun, which was not making its way through the western part of the sky. When they'd last taken a break the sun was just moving past the midway point, but now the shadows cast by the Gem temple were stretching further and further towards the sea and the latening afternoon was beginning to give the shores of Beach City an orange hue. Connie was very conscious of the time, while her parents trusted her and Steven would not get up to anything dubious they still insisted on her being home for no later than 8PM, so that Gregg had ample time to get both Steven and himself home before it got too late, the Maheswarans were all about safety after all.

Steven was the one to break the silence, prying his eyes away from the glistening water, " _Wanna go sit on the beach for a little? I know you've gotta study and stuff, but if you don't take breaks then your brain might get too big and explode!"_ said Steven, half joking, half genuinely concerned for his friend's wellbeing. " _Sure"_ , Connie replied, " _I think I've studied enough for now, I'll leave the rest for when I get home."_ The tired youth began placing all of her revision materials into her backpack, placing textbook after textbook inside and neatly placing her exercise books, taking extra to ensure that no pages were being bent as her bag grew fuller with her mass of studying resources. As she and Steven stood up and headed for his front door, she dropped her bag so that she could just run up to collect her stuff before she had to head home.

The sand was soft beneath their feet. With each step Steven could feel the sand wash over his feet and sandals, and Connie could feel it beginning to inhabit the inside of her shoes. Finding a suitable spot to watch the slowly setting sun, the two sat down close to the shoreline, not too close to the tide so as to avoid getting their footwear soaked. Connie took this opportunity to remove her shoes so that she could empty the sand from them meanwhile Steven once again directed his stare toward the horizon. The dark skinned girl placed her shoes to one side and moved so that she was sitting alongside her best friend, " _Hey Steven?"_ She said to the boy, who responded with a " _hmmm?_ " which was very similar to the ones he'd vocalised while focussing on Pythagoras theorem inside the house, " _I'm sorry we didn't have too much time to hang out today…_ ", the girl began before Steven cut her off, " _oh, that's okay Connie_ ", he said directing a smile towards her, " _I understand how important studying is to you, I just hope I wasn't too much of a distraction."_ A small smile crept onto her face, " _Of course you weren't! Half the time I couldn't even tell you were there_ ", she responded, causing the young gem to return her smile.

For a couple seconds they both just sat there, staring into each other's eyes before Connie turned her gaze back toward the, this small silence seemed to last ages, but after only a solid ten seconds of silence Steven once again turned to face his friend, " _Connie…. I need to ask you a question, and it's something that's been bugging me for a little while now and I think it's something only you can answer for me._ " Connie noticed as she turned to face him that he was having a bit of trouble maintaining eye contact with her and that he was fiddling around and wringing his hands repeatedly, was he nervous? And if so, why? She looked at him for a moment before responding, "S _ure, what is it?",_ a smile once again appeared on her face, hiding her confusion and curiosity.

The boy once again appeared sheepish, taking a deep breath before finally speaking, " _How do people….how do people know who they like? As in 'like like, not just 'like",_ Steven exhaled deeply before once again meeting Connie's gaze, which was now directed solely at him. She took a moment to consider what he had asked her, yes she was well studied but this wasn't something that was taught, she always thought it was something that people came to on their own. She cautiously responded, really considering each word through before she vocalised it, " _I'm…. not too sure_ ", she stated bluntly, " _If anything I'd say it would maybe be in psychology, but I've never studied it so I'm not really sure_ ", she continued, hoping that her response would not disappoint him, " _My mom told me once that girls are prone to liking boys who remind them of their dads, and that boys are attracted to girls who remind them of their mom_."

She instantly regretted what she had said. Steven directed his attention directly toward the sandy ground, a frown appearing on his usually happy face. " _Hey, that's just something my mom told me one time, it doesn't mean that it's true_ ", Connie tried to reassure Steven to no avail. Connie felt terrible, she was well aware of how Steven felt about that fact that he never got the chance to know his mom and she was mentally kicking herself for letting what she said slip out. " _Hey, just because my mom said it doesn't mean it's right_ ", said Connie, once again trying to correct what she had said. " _But Connie_ ", Steven said, " _Your mom's super smart like you; if she said it then it's probably right,_ " the boy turned to face the sea, looking dejected.

What followed was possibly the worst silence Steven had ever been a part of in his life. He felt bad because he was probably making Connie feel awful, it wasn't that he wasn't used to the idea of never meeting his mom but the idea that it could mean he would never know if he would be able to properly feel the way people felt when they knew that they loved someone was something that he wasn't all too sure how to take. The sun was now getting closer and closer to the horizon and Steven knew that if he didn't say something now Connie would probably go home feeling bad. _"I'm sorry Connie_ ", he said, " _I didn't mean to make you feel bad or anything._ " Steven looked up at his friend, whose face carried a look of surprise, " _Why are you saying sorry? I'm the one who should be apologising, I made you feel bad_ ", she said confused. Once again the two just gazed into one another's eyes, Steven's lips curled into a smile and the two turned to face the now setting sun once more before it disappeared for the day.

" _I think_ ", began Connie, " _I think that liking someone, like knowing you really do 'like like' them is something you can just feel, not something you need to be taught how to recognise_ ", she continued, not breaking her gaze from the almost disappeared sun while edging her hand slowly towards her friends until hers rested atop his. " _Yeah_ ", Steven agreed, " _that sounds pretty accurate._ "

The sun had now fully sunk behind the horizon and the darkness of night was beginning to set in, the two stood up and began making their way back towards Steven's house so that Connie could grab her bag before Greg and Steven drove her home. As they entered the beach house, Steven handed Connie her bag and before the two could begin to make their way towards the road where Greg was meeting them Pearl began to speak, " _Ah Steven, would you mind coming home after walking Connie to Greg's van? There are a few things I need to discuss with you_ ", the gem said, smiling at the two youths. " _So I won't get to go with dad and take Connie home?_ " enquired Steven, his voice heavy with disappointment, " _I'm afraid not",_ Pearl responded, " _I'm sorry Connie_ " she added, looking at the girl. Connie, who was more subtle than Steven, didn't wish to let her disappointment with having to say goodbye to her best friend sooner show, " _Oh, it's okay, I understand_ " she said, smiling at her sword fighting mentor.

Returning the gesture, Pearl waved goodbye to Connie as she and Steven set off across the beach, soon reaching the stylish vehicle/home of Steven's father, " _Hey kids_ ", Greg greeted them with a smile, " _ready to hit the road_?", the balding man took his place in the driver's seat, expecting both Connie and Steven to join him in the van, " _Pearl says she needs to speak to me about something so it's just Connie going with you_ " Steven informed his father. Greg shrugged, " _Okay then kiddo, stay safe_ " said Greg, starting the engine of the van. Steven turned toward Connie now, " _I'll see you later Connie, I hope I was a good help with studying_ ", said Steven, " _I had a great time Steven, thanks for being such a big help_ ", replied Connie, and before she could even react Steven had embraced her with both arms before quickly freeing her and jogging back towards his home, waving as he went.

Connie felt the heat rushing to hear cheeks as they became a deep shade of red; she stood there frozen for a few seconds before Greg caught her attention, "Um… Connie? Ready to go?", he said, his voice carrying a slight hint of uncertainty, " _Oh, sorry Mr Universe_ ", she replied before hopping into the back of the van, " _Hey_ " , Greg said, " _Why not sit in the front with me? It's always nice to have someone to talk to on the road_ " he offered. Connie nodded her head before clambering into the passenger seat of the van, clambering over piles of Greg's clothes before Steven's father began the journey to her home.


	2. Chapter 2-Mr Universe

When Greg had suggested Connie should sit in the front of the van with him, he had been hoping for some form of conversation. Despite her initial positive response to the proposal, a nod of her head, the girl had not spoken a single word since strapping herself into the passenger seat of Greg's mobile home. Greg began to wonder if she felt awkward with just the two of them in the van together, as Steven usually accompanied her during the ride home, but she'd never seemed to have a problem with him before. He wondered if she felt she needed some sort of icebreaker, but she'd never seemed to find talking to him difficult before. This was especially true after the two made their 'Human Beings' Pact, stipulating that Greg would be there for Connie if she needed someone to talk to about all the 'weird gem stuff' that surrounded Steven's life, which they had made after Greg had recounted to both her and Steven the story of his attempt to fuse with Rose. Despite all of this, if it were not for the low hum of the van's engine, Greg would have felt perfectly alone as Connie had been completely silent for the entire journey thus far, staring absently out of the window at the side of the road.

Silence wasn't really something Greg was used to hearing; whether he was talking to a client at 'It's A Wash', spending time with Steven or just relaxing while listening to music. Even when he wasn't doing any of those things, the sounds of Beach City itself, including but not limited to the sounds of seagulls and crashing waves, ensured that silence wasn't around the former aspiring rockstar all too often. He was aware that Connie wasn't exactly the most outspoken girl, but her continual silence made Greg wonder if something was up; he wasn't exactly a behavioural psychologist, but being a parent had allowed him to recognise that such a change in behaviour meant that something was probably on her mind.

" _So_ ", the balding man began, " _What did you and Steven do today_?", he continued in the hope of starting a conversation, ready to gauge her response for any sign of upset or anger. The young girl turned her attention from the window to face Greg, smiling at him she responded, " _Not too much, we studied for a bit and then hung out on the beach, he offered to help me prepare for the test I have next week and it was nice to be around someone while studying for once."_ " _Well, I'm glad you kids had a fun time_ ", Greg responded enthusiastically. Once again the van returned to the same silence it had held for most of the journey already and Connie's attention was once again focussed on the passing scenery, Greg had noticed while Connie had been speaking to him that, despite her smile, she had been having trouble maintaining eye contact with him. To Greg this meant one of two things: A) She was lying to him, or B) There was more to it than that. Though Greg was curious as to which of these possibilities was correct, he did not wish to cause Connie any discomfort by trying to pry her for information. Greg valued her as both Steven's friend and his own, she knew she could talk to him about anything if she so wished, as part of the 'Human Beings' Pact, and if there was something she wished to discuss with Greg he would let her do it in her own time.

Despite Mr Universe's kind and approachable nature, Connie didn't feel she was quite comfortable enough to talk to him about what was on her mind. She considered Greg to be a friend to her, an outlet of normality in a world that regularly comprised of "weird gem stuff" and forecasts of impending doom. Yes, what was occupying her thoughts was gem related, but Connie didn't feel it was an appropriate discussion to have with Steven's dad. But, if she couldn't bring herself to ask Mr Universe, then who could she ask? She wouldn't want to ask Steven in case it upset or confused him, and the Gems may not even really understand what she was talking about. Steven's dad was the world's only fully human link to the weird and wonderful world of the gems, their culture, their existence, and how they worked. But asking him was out of the question, and thus the dark haired girl resorted to trying to figure things out for herself, which wasn't going entirely too well for her.

" _Hey Connie_?", Greg's gentle voice once again brought her attention away from the blurred scenery visible from outside the window. She once again looked over at him as a way of indicating she was listening, " _Mind If I put some music on? It's just something that helps me drive, but I'll keep it real quiet if you want_ " he continued, momentarily turning his eyes away from the road in order to face Connie briefly as he spoke. She was quite taken aback by his question, but flattered that he took her into consideration before putting anything on, " _Of course not Mr Universe_ " she smiled, " _It would be rude of me to tell you what to do in your own home._ " Greg chuckled for a moment, for once acknowledging the hilarity of the absurdity of his living arrangement. He reached over to the glove compartment and began rummaging around for seemingly something specific, eventually producing an old and battered cd case, which bore colours of white, red and gold, as well as varying shades of blue. Greg popped the case open, removing the CD and placing it into the van's stereo system, there was a stutter, followed by a whirring sound as the system began to read the cd. After the whirring ceased, a silence spiced with static filled the van.

Connie's ears pricked up, curious to see what Greg had chosen to listen to. Being brought up around mostly classical music, Connie had never really had much of an opportunity to experience other types of music, until she met Steven and Greg that is. She was aware of how important music had been to Greg's life and respected Greg's varied taste in music. He was not one to discriminate between genre and embraced rock and jazz as openly as he did metal and blues, generally, Mr Universe could get behind anything so long as it had guitar in it.

Initially it was the upbeat strumming of an acoustic guitar that met Connie's ears, however this quickly transitioned into a similarly paced electric guitar. Connie could begin to make out a bass line before a strangely recognisable voice was introduced, yet she couldn't quite place why it was so familiar; was this an artist that Mr Universe listened to often when driving her to and from her home? No, he'd never seemed to stick to the same thing twice before, he'd been so surprised when he learned of her limited exposure to music and " _classics_ " like ' _Orange Magic Orchestra_ ', ' _The Philosophy Majors'_ and _'Quadrinometry'_ that he'd made a point to have something different playing every time Connie was in the van so as to " _broaden her musical horizons_." She appreciated this gesture on the part of Mr Universe, even if it was currently granting her confusion and slight frustration.

The familiarity of the singer's voice perplexed the young girl, she knew it was something she had heard very recently, the tone of the voice making her feel calm. She racked her brain for an answer, it was on the tip of her tongue yet was still eluding her, and Mr Universe humming along to the melody was not helping her to reach a conclusion any faster. She tried listening to Mr Universe's humming to see if that would help her to realise where she had heard the voice before. She listened closely to the pitch at which he was humming to try and discern to whom the voice belonged, paying close attention to notice any subtle changes that he made to his wordless mimicry. It was clear he knew this song very well as his humming was in perfect sync with the singer's vocals, and the subtle shifts in tone and pitch heard as each lyric was vocalised were matched perfectly…

" _BUT THE MOMENT THAT I HIT THE STAGE, THOUSANDS OF VOICES ARE CALLING MY NAME…._ "

Greg couldn't help himself; it had been a while since he'd listened to his old stuff and sometimes you have to see if the old pipes still have it. He hadn't quite anticipated his singing would shock Connie to the point of her letting out an audible yelp and jumping however and, after performing a quick parking manoeuvre at the side of the road, the car wash owner turned to check on his son's friend.

Connie hadn't intended to startle Mr Universe, but his tuneful outburst had caught her off guard. Her heart was racing as she sat in her seat, and she felt foolish for not recognising the voice of her best friend's dad coming through the speakers. Connie was aware that Mr Universe had been an aspiring artist when he was younger but she hadn't been told that he'd actually recorded an album. She looked at Mr Universe who, after performing a fast and near perfect parking manoeuvre at the side of the road, was staring at her with a concerned expression on his face. " _You alright Connie?_ " he began, " _Sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you, sometimes the old vocal chords just need a bit of exercise, y'know?",_ he added sheepishly, attempting to justify his actions. " _Oh, I'm fine Mr Universe_ ", she stated, reassuring him with a smile, " _I didn't know you made cd's, I knew you used to write songs and stuff but no one ever told me you were in a band",_ she continued, her voice thick with curiosity and amazement at her discovery.

Greg grinned widely; pretty much everyone he was around on a regular basis was no longer wowed by his prior career as an aspiring musical talent, " _Glad you liked it, and for being my first fully human fan you win a free CD_ ", Greg declared, once again reaching into the glove compartment and retrieving a similar looking CD case which was in much better condition. Connie examined the front cover of the album, it read " _Space Train to the Cosmos_ " and the name " _Mr Universe_ " was present on the case. " _Gee, thanks a lot Mr Universe_ ", exclaimed Connie, her eyes gleaming as she now turned to the back of the case to examine the track list; there were 8 songs in total from the aptly named " _Comet_ " to the intriguingly titled " _Let me Drive my Van into your Heart." "Did you write all of these?"_ the dark haired girl questioned as Greg removed the handbrake so that their journey could resume, " _Yup, all original pieces from yours truly_ " Greg winked, momentarily breaking his gaze from the road, " _They're all pretty good if I do say so myself_ " he added, the smile on his face once again widening.

Connie continued to examine the album's art for a few more moments, appreciating the fact that it appeared to be a spruced up hand drawn image rather than a professionally designed piece. She paused before asking Mr Universe, " _Which song on here is your favourite?_ ", pointing at the album as she did so. He briefly considered this question, " _hmmm… Comet_ " he responded confidently before checking right prior to moving across a roundabout. " _Why Comet?_ " pressed Connie, interested to see why Steven's father was so quick to single out that song in particular as his favourite creation, wondering if it was down to the lyrics or more to do with the song's overall composition. Once again, Greg was quick to respond, " _There's a couple reasons really_ " stated the vest clad man, " _It was the song that closed my beach city gig, it was one of the first ones I ever wrote and…",_ his voice trailed off suddenly, as if he was unsure whether to continue. Connie began to experience a feeling similar to the one she had felt that afternoon when she had accidently upset Steven and she once again began to mentally kick herself as she feared that she had touched a similar nerve with Mr Universe.

The momentary silence that filled the van felt like an age to Connie, yet subconsciously she knew what had caused Mr Universe to grow silent. Greg cleared his throat before beginning to speak again, this time his voice carried a slightly more solemn tone, " _….And it was the song I played when I first met Rose."_ That brief remark confirmed to Connie that her question _had_ unintentionally touched a nerve, and that feeling of self-aggravation once again filled her mind, as if it had flooded every synapse in her brain. Yet as she once again began to curse herself for evidently salting a raw emotional wound, she noticed Greg's lips curl into a smile. He once again began speaking, but the solemn tone had disappeared from his speech, instead replaced by his usual cheerful demeanour, " _I guess, above all, I like Comet so much because I think of it as the song that gave me Rose._ " " _She was something really special huh?_ ", Connie responded, once again feeling comfortable enough to speak, Greg chuckled, " _Yeah she was, and she was the only one who actually showed up to my concert on the beach_ ", he added, his pupils dilating as he reminisced, " _That's when all the weird gem stuff started in my life, when I chose her over music, and I wouldn't have it any other way",_ Greg added as the smile on his face grew bigger.

Connie's mind once again began to present her with the question she'd been wanting to ask Mr Universe all night. Ever since her and Steven had watched the sunset together on the beach she'd had this question in mind, yet she hadn't thought it appropriate to try and ask Mr Universe a question of this nature. She could tell by the scenery that they wouldn't take much longer to get to her house now, and thus Connie felt that the asking of this question had taken on a " _now or never_ " nature. She felt that given the nature of the " _Human Beings_ " Pact, and the direction that the conversation had taken, that Mr Universe would not be opposed to answering her question. Mr Universe had just opened up to her, and now she felt it was time to do the same to him.

 _"Mr Universe?",_ Connie spoke timidly in the way a student would address a teacher, " _may I ask you something?"_ Greg was confused by the way that she was speaking to him; she had never spoken to him in this manner before. Turning to face Connie he was met with a face carrying a nervous expression, and it was clear to him that whatever she wanted to ask him was something very private and very important to her. " _Of course, 'human beings' remember_?" Greg said, trying to use his self-professed natural wit to make her more comfortable, raising his pinkie finger in salute to their agreement, " _And please, call me Greg_ " he added, again attempting to dispel her nerves. This evidently didn't work, as while Connie flashed him a nervous smile she continued to rub her arm sheepishly. " _Alright, Greg_ ", she said, attempting to muster up her courage, " _Could the gems, hypothetically, experience….. love?_ ", her voice was slightly shaking as she spoke due to her nerves.

Greg brought the van to a stop before answering her; they had arrived at the Maheswaran residence, yet Greg thought it would be cruel to insist on her departure and thus deprive her of an answer, he was aware how important stuff like this could be to someone as young as Connie as this particular question was something he found himself wondering twenty plus years prior. He carefully considered his words, which was not something he did all too often, before offering her an answer. " _Based on what I know about the gems, and what I've seen…. Yes, yes they can_ ", Greg began, noting the anxiousness on Connie's face begin to lessen as he spoke, _"From how me and Rose felt about each other, and the other gems felt about Rose, and how they feel about Steven, then yes, Gems are definitely able to love",_ he continued, feeling that his response was helping to relax Connie, " _And the way that I see Steven act toward you and how I know he feels about me and the Gems, then I'd say it's pretty clear that emotion is one of the most human things about the Gems, because while the can seem distant and objective based, deep down they really care for Steven, and this planet."_

Connie took time to process what Greg had said, taking in every word he'd spoken. After properly digesting the information, she undid her seatbelt, " _Thanks Mr Uni…. Greg, that really helps put stuff into perspective for me_ " she said calmly. " _It's no problem Connie_ ", he responded, _"It's nice to have someone who finds gems and their stuff just as confusing as I do",_ he continued, grinning at the girl. Greg looked over at the clock built into his dashboard, it read 19:52, " _Come on, I'll walk you to the door before your parents get worried about you_ ", he said, unbuckling his own seatbelt and stepping out of his automobile.

Connie thanked Greg for the ride home as they approached the house, " _Any time Connie_ ", he remarked, "A _nd remember, if you ever need to talk about stuff, Gem or not, and you don't think your parents can help you, I'm always here_." Connie nodded, smiling in acknowledgement of Greg's offer and raising her pinkie as the sign of the 'Human Beings' Pact. Upon entering her house she once again thanked Greg for the lift home, her parents also offering their gratitude, " _No problem, and if you're visiting Steven again tomorrow tell him to let me know and I'll come pick you up, save your dad the journey_ ", Greg shouted as he made his way back inside the van, " _That's very kind, thank you Mr Universe_ " Mr Maheswaran replied as the engine of the van once again whirred into life, " _Don't mention it, and call me Greg_!" exclaimed Steven's father, as he began his drive back towards beach city, the sound of guitar and his own singing filling the vehicle as he went.


End file.
